There's Something about the Fair

The county fair is special every year.  

Each year, when August rolls around and the week of the fair draws near, my anticipation grows.  I can hardly wait to watch my boys enjoy a walk through the livestock barns...

 ...stopping now and then to pet a pig...

 ...or to get excited when they see a familiar name.  ;-)

 I love eating fair food...and watching my boys enjoy it, too.

I smile when I see the free gifts they receive in the commercial exhibit hall.

I'm glad for the chance to enter a few things...

...and occasionally receive a ribbon (fifth this year in the category of "Humorous"...poor Moriah...famous for her spit-up).  ;-)

I'm even more glad that this year, for the first time, Josiah and David each entered a few things (two drawings for David, a drawing for Josiah, some bar cookies for Josiah, and a fast-fuse bead project for each of them).  

 Seeing a green "Participation" ribbon for each of them made all of us happy.  :)

I never tire of the fair scenery...

 ...and the shows...

I'm thrilled just watching my boys ride the rides...

Shav might get tired of all the noise after a while...

 ...but I don't.

All the commotion might be too much for him...

...but it's not for me.  I soak in each minute of it; and when the time comes for us to leave, I think (but don't say), "So soon? But we just got here!  Can't we just stay a little longer?"  :)

All of this is par for the course, when it comes to the fair.  All of this happens every year: the exhibits, rides, food, lights, people, and on and on.  It's quintessential America.

Quintessential community.

And each year is a ton of fun.

But this year - oh, this sweet year of 2012!  For the first time ever, I had the amazing privilege of going to the fair WITH MY DAUGHTER.

Last year, she was just a tiny little thing inside me.  We didn't know it was our Moriah; in fact, we had just found out that God was blessing us with another child--and so soon after our miscarriage!  But she was in there, and she was growing, and this year...wow!...to see who she is and what she's becoming.  I'm awed--continually--by the gift that she is.

Not only did I get to enjoy the fair with Moriah, but also, for the first time, she played with a doll.  Did you catch that?  This marvelous girl-child of mine held and looked at and cuddled with a doll.  A DOLL.  That's unheard of, I tell ya!  ;-)

 This doll was given to Moriah by some dear friends of ours shortly after she was born, and I had it tucked in the diaper bag, ready to pull out when she was old enough to grasp it.  As we were walking around the fair, I decided to get it out and see what Moriah did with it.

 She did great with it.  ;-)

But going around the fairgrounds can be quite exhausting, so part of the time we were there, my sweet Moriah slept peacefully in her stroller.

 And I--as I've done so many times in the past four months--gazed in wonder at the precious girl I'm so grateful to call my own.

Each fair has its delights.  But thinking back to last year and remembering all that's changed since then made a fresh wave of thankfulness wash over me.

I loved last year.  I loved being pregnant and feeling SO blessed by God opening my womb yet again to bear a child.

But even more, I love this year.  I love the life situation God has put me in, as a wife to Jeff and a mother to our five treasured children.  Truly, my cup of blessings runs over.

And going to the fair reminded me of that.  :)